Felicia spoke of the food, how much she’d eaten, detailing every dish she’d tasted. Lady Pemberly told her that if she continued to eat like a stoat, Lord Pettigrew would soon look elsewhere.
Evangeline, who had eaten very little, perjured her soul. “It was a delicious dinner, and I must agree with Miss Storleigh, ma’am. I’m truly grateful that ladies must no longer wear those dreadful stays.”
Evangeline was speaking to Pauline, Viscountess Demster, when she heard the duke’s voice. “Excuse me, my lady. Some dear friends of mine have just arrived and I must introduce Madame de la Valette to them.”
Chapter 26
As the duke led her across the drawing room, tossing a smile here, a compliment there, he said to her at last, “I judge you the winner of that joust.”
For a moment Evangeline didn’t understand what he was talking about, and he saw that she didn’t. “Lady Jane,” he said, and shook his head.
“Oh, her. That poor jealous little twit. You wouldn’t want her for a wife, your grace. Trust me on this. She would bore you silly very quickly. Can you imagine that she was threatened by me?”
He gazed at her, mesmerized. “Surprising, isn’t it? Threatened by you, a veritable witch with no beauty, no wit, not a hint or promise of charm, no figure to distract a man’s thoughts.”
“You don’t have to go that far,” she said. “Now, who are these friends you want me to meet?” She was thinking about John Edgerton. She had to speak to him before he left. They walked into the immense entrance hall.
“Forgive us, Richard,” a handsome gentleman said, stepping forward. He looked at Evangeline. “I’m Phillip Mercerault, you know, Viscount Derencourt. This is my wife, Sabrina. Our babe still isn’t showing itself yet. My wife assures me that our daughter is just fine.”
The young lady, who had masses of beautiful auburn hair piled up on her head, poked her husband on the arm and laughed. “Forgive him, ma’am. I’m Sabrina, and it’s true that I’m breeding and that Phillip wants a little girl, but I’m determined that it will be a boy. Oh, goodness, I’m sorry we’re late, but Rohan and Susannah Carrington called. They didn’t have time to come with us, and they sent their regrets. We’re late, but we’re here now.”
“Yes, all two and a third of you,” the duke said. “This is Evangeline de la Valette.”
“How do you do?” Phillip said, taking her hand and raising it to his lips. “I understand that you are presently taking care of Edmund. If Sabrina insists upon birthing me a boy, I should like another Edmund.”
“He’s the very best of little boys. Do you know, I understand that I have beat you out, my lord,” Evangeline continued. “I gave Edmund a gun, you see, a toy gun, and he’s shot all the peacocks. He composes strategies with Bunyon so that I, the highwayman, can be chased down and summarily shot when he catches me. He said your gifts were nothing compared to his gun.”
“That little ingrate,” Phillip said, his eyes narrowing. “I have given him many gifts over the years, and yet he abandons me with just one offering from you. Richard, speak to your son. Assure him that loyalty to his own sex is the only thing that saves men from sinking under the ladies’ slippers.”
Evangeline was laughing when she looked at Sabrina, who was giving strange and wondering looks at her husband.
“Goodness,” Evangeline said. “What are you doing?”
“Oh,” Sabrina said. “You mean the way I’m devouring him with my eyes?”
“Exactly. How do you manage to do that exactly?” “That’s a secret. You see, Rohan Carrington’s mother, Lady Charlotte, is the most beautiful woman in all the world, and she’s been giving me eye lessons so that I can seduce my husband whenever I feel so inclined.”
“Fascinating,” the duke said. “The last I heard, Lady Charlotte was off to Russia with some dashing specimen of manhood.”
“No, Russia was last summer, or was it Venice?” Phillip said. “She’s off somewhere, just left last week.” He looked down into his wife’s eyes, and his own eyes nearly crossed. “She’s learned how to seduce me quite efficiently. I don’t know exactly what Charlotte taught her, but it works. In an instant.”
“On the other hand,” the duke said, “you’ve been married less than a year. I’ve never heard of a man needing any encouragement that early on.”
Phillip leaned close to whisper to the duke, only the women heard it as well, “Don’t discourage her, Richard. She quite believes herself to be the Bathsheba of seduction. I enjoy it.”
“As well you should,” Sabrina said. Evangeline saw John Edgerton from the corner of her eye, standing quietly in the doorway of the drawing room, looking toward her. She smiled at the duke’s friends, whom she would probably never see again, and said, “I have torn my gown and must see to mending it. Also, I must speak a moment to Sir John. A pleasure to meet you both, my lord, my lady. Excuse me.” And she was away before Sabrina could say a word about helping her. The duke stared after her. He saw her speak with John Edgerton, saw the two of them go back into the drawing room. What the hell was going on? He felt his belly harden with fury. Sir John Edgerton?
“You seem to be quite one of the family, my dear,” Edgerton said as he led her onto a small balcony off the library. It was very cold, the moon hard and full overhead. There were myriad stars, but Evangeline wasn’t interested in any of them.
He said, “Just imagine you leaving the esteemed Viscount and Viscountess Derencourt to come with me. The duke wants you. You must know that, all women do.”
“I imagine that the duke would just as soon throw me through a window,” she said.
“Dare I ask you for an explanation? No, I don’t think so, there’s so little time. I don’t want the dear duke to become suspicious. You’re here in London. I did not give you permission to leave Chesleigh. Tell me why you disobeyed me. It had better satisfy me, Evangeline, or I will see that little Edmund is planted in a grave with his toy gun placed on his chest.” He laughed at the hatred in her eyes. He snapped his fingers. “The boy will die just that easily. Don’t ever think of betraying me.”
Her voice trembled, she was so enraged, so very afraid. “Listen to me, you bastard. You had Mrs. Needle strangled. That poor old woman never did anything to anyone. Don’t you see? I’m responsible for her death because I just happened to mention her to you that first night. Damn you, you killed her!”
“You’re the one responsible, my dear. If you hadn’t said anything, why, the old hag would still be brewing her noxious potions, but you did say something. I acted. I always act when it is necessary. I will act just as swiftly if you even dream of betraying me. Why did you come to London?”
“I came to London because I couldn’t bear to stay at Chesleigh.”
John Edmund slowly pulled a snuffbox from his waistcoat pocket and, with an expert flick of his thumb and forefinger, snapped up the lacquer lid. With exquisite precision he pinched a small quantity of the scented snuff and inhaled it. He sneezed delicately, then slowly replaced the lid.
“Such a tender conscience you have, Evangeline. It pleases me. Now I won’t have to worry quite so much about you spilling all your secrets to the duke, hoping he can save you, save your father. He can’t, no one can. Never forget Edmund, Evangeline. Now, I will let you remain here.”
“I cannot bear it,” she said, trembling, so afraid, so miserable that she wanted to cry and scream both at the same time. “Please, no more. I’ve done enough. Let me go.”
“Shut up, Evangeline. We’re alone, but there are bound to be servants near who could overhear. I want no questions. Now, if you will calm yourself, I will tell you that I shan’t punish you for disobeying me.” He paused a moment, his eyes upon his snuffbox. “As it happens, there is a small service you can perform for me while you’re here in London.”
“I can’t,” she whispered. “I can’t. Please, no. Don’t you understand? How can I continue doing all this in the name of protecting my father and Edmund, when you are killing innocent
people?”
“You are becoming dramatic and hysterical. Calm yourself. Listen to me, now. As you have probably heard from Lord Pettigrew and others, Napoleon will arrive in Paris any day now. All will be resolved soon, very soon. Then you will be free, I promise you.”
She hadn’t heard a thing. Napoleon was free? Oh, God, it couldn’t be true.
“Just how would things be resolved? That monster is free again to butcher and maim and steal?”
Sir John shrugged negligently, but there was mad excitement in his eyes. He said, “We shall see, shall we not? Napoleon will win this time. The allies will be crushed. It will be done. Then we will see.”
“Do you swear that my father will be freed? Do you swear that Edmund will be safe? Do you swear that you will have no more innocent people killed?” He lied quickly and cleanly and she knew he lied, but she felt as if a coffin lid were closing inexorably over her. She felt utterly helpless. She watched as Sir John threw his head back and laughed heartily. “You’re such a child. Yes, my dear, I swear it all to you as the Lynx, and he, believe me, is a very trustworthy fellow.”
She said, her voice as lifeless as she felt, “What is it you wish me to do?”
John Edgerton smiled gently, patted her arm, and told her. “No,” he said finally, “don’t say anything. You will figure out how to accomplish what I ask. Now,” he added, “now.” He grabbed her upper arms and jerked her against him. “You’re cold. Why didn’t you say anything? Let me warm you. Yes, let me.” He kissed her cold mouth, pressing hard, his tongue probing against her. He said over and over against her mouth, “I’ve wanted you for so very long. Let me have you now, Evangeline. Yes, give yourself to me, and I’ll free your father myself. Come to me, tonight. Yes, tonight, come to me. I want to bed you, I must—”
She brought up her knee and struck him hard in his groin. He gasped, dropped his hands from her arms, and stared at her. “You will regret that. You will indeed.”
“You filthy bastard.” She jumped away from him. “I will do as you ask, but you will never touch me again.”
She was through the doors to the library in an instant, so cold she wondered why she didn’t crack into a thousand pieces. She couldn’t bear it. She ran upstairs to the beautiful Rose Room and locked the door. She wrapped herself in all the blankets she could find. She sat there, staring at nothing at all for a very long time.
“The war ministry? Why the devil do you wish to visit the ministry?”
Evangeline merely smiled and shrugged. “I thought it would be interesting. It is the heart of the English government. Napoleon is free, he’s nearly in Paris, I hear. Yes, I want to visit the ministry, feel the excitement, the anticipation.” “This is the strangest thing I’ve ever heard you say.” “Is it? Well, there’s no reason for you to accompany me. I can take a hackney. It’s no trouble.”
He looked as if he wanted to smack her. “When do you want to go on this exciting outing?”
“This afternoon. You don’t have to worry that they won’t allow you to enter, your grace. I asked Lord Pettigrew last night and he said he would be pleased to see me. Ah, and you as well.”
“Drew is excessively polite, damn his eyes. The last thing he really wants is to have a lady poking about.
I had intended to drive you to Richmond. I doubt you could ever find your way to the center of the maze, but I was willing to let you try.”
Evangeline rose from the breakfast table and looked down at him. “If you’re going to be in such a foul temper, I would prefer a footman’s company.” She tossed her napkin onto her plate.
He roared out of his chair. “You will hold your damned tongue, my girl. You must know that as your host, as the man who protects you, I have no choice at all. Of course I will accompany you. Now where are you off to? We’re talking.”
“I’m off to see Edmund. I have nothing more to say to you, your grace.”
He toyed with his napkin for a moment. “I have already been to see him. Ellen was stuffing him full of toast. Bunyon was lecturing him on how a young gentleman behaved when he went to Astley’s, and my mother was offering to let him shoot her with his gun. When he saw me, another slave for him, he offered to let me teach him how to play chess.”
“That little fraud,” Evangeline said, and laughed, her entire face lighting up. “I was teaching him, you see. Now he believes himself a master.”
“What he needs,” the duke said slowly, looking from her mouth to her breasts, completely covered this morning by a pale yellow morning gown, “is brothers and sisters.”
She gulped. “Perhaps,” she said finally, “Lady Jane could be trained to be more human. What do you think?”
“Well,” he said, his eyes alight with wickedness, “she did assure all of us that she was a virgin. That must weigh something in the scales.” That got her goat but good. She leaped to grab the bait he’d so easily tossed. “You pompous, arrogant English bastard. You—” She drew herself up, her hands fisted at her sides, to see that he was laughing at her.
“I will go with you to see Edmund. We will both give him a chess lesson.”
“Go to the devil,” she said, turned on her heel, routed, and stomped out of the breakfast room. His laughter, deep and sweet, swept over her, and she collided with a footman.
Chapter 27
Evangeline held her reticule close to her chest. Inside was the envelope John Edgerton had had a messenger deliver to her that morning. She didn’t want to know what was inside. But she was afraid, dreadfully afraid.
The day was so cold she could see her breath in the carriage.
The duke leaned over and patted the blanket more closely around her legs. “Can you believe that just weeks ago we were basking under a summer sun?”
The carriage came to a halt. Juniper appeared at the window, all sharp and smiling. He very much enjoyed being in the thick of things, the duke thought. But he imagined that Juniper also wondered why the devil he was bringing a young lady to the war ministry. Why indeed?
“No,” she said. “I can’t believe it.” She was standing in front of a soot-darkened gray stone building, stark and uninviting. It appeared to be in need of a good cleaning. It was surrounded by a high black iron fence. It seemed unnaturally quiet on the street, for there were no scrambling hawkers here to disturb the important men behind its walls. Two of his majesty’s uniformed guards stood in silent scrutiny.
“You can see Westminster from here,” the duke said, pointing a gloved finger.
“How utterly delightful,” Evangeline said briskly and, ignoring the duke’s look of incredulity, walked with a determined step to the tall black gate in front of the ministry.
The duke had no need to identify himself to the guards. Immediately the great iron gates swung open. “Your grace,” said one guard. “Stay with the horses, Juniper,” the duke called out. “Just as you normally do.”
They walked up a dozen deeply worn stone steps to the huge double doors. The guard pulled at a heavy iron-ringed knob and bowed low to the duke. “Your grace,” he said. “Lord Pettigrew’s secretary will now assist you.”
“You have every right to be the most conceited man in all of England.”
“Oh, no. The prince regent leaves me in the dirt. Besides, I pay no attention.” He gave her a bewildered look. “Would you rather we were treated in a paltry manner and ignored?”
“Certainly not. It’s just that everyone treats you as though you were the prince regent.”
“Oh, no, they don’t. Everyone in the know is much more polite to me, I assure you.”
Evangeline drew up, startled. The duke’s softly spoken words reverberated off the walls like a mighty echo. She glanced about. The main hall rose upward some four stories, wrought iron railings enclosing each of the floors. Uniformed guards stood quietly at each landing. Gentlemen of all ages, dressed in somber colors, walked purposefully through the main entrance hall, slowing only briefly when they saw Evangeline pass. The duke was greeted by every man and
bowed to. It was disconcerting. She was roundly ignored.
“It must be obvious to you by now that ladies don’t normally grace this place,” the duke said smoothly after a young man, with less aplomb than the others, nearly tripped over his feet at the sight of her.
“Richard, Evangeline. You are exactly on time. Welcome to my second home.” Lord Pettigrew appeared from the far side of the entrance hall. Unlike the secretaries and clerks, he was attired in a buff coat and dark brown breeches. Despite his warm welcome, Evangeline sensed that he was harried. Doubtless he thought her request to visit the ministry a frivolous one, and was not overjoyed that she was taking his valuable time. She didn’t blame him at all. She looked at him, knew what she was doing, and wanted to die. Instead, she gave him a charming smile and said, “Thank you for letting me come.”
He nodded, then said to the duke, “We have more information from Paris. If you are free this evening, there are those of us who would like to meet with you.”
“Certainly,” the duke said. “Now, let’s have a tour for Madame Curiosity here. Do we have you for a guide or one of your many minions?”
“The great Duke of Portsmouth escorted about by a clerk? Hardly.”
Lord Pettigrew led them through stark and somber conference rooms that reeked of stale tobacco smoke. “I have so longed to see the Lord Deputy’s Chamber,” Evangeline said as Lord Pettigrew led them into that ancient, oak-timbered room that had known endless discussions about England’s future. She was near to shrieking at Lord Pettigrew when finally he said, “All that remains is my office. It’s not all that impressive.”
She gave him her best charming smile. “Oh, how I should like to see exactly where it is you work, Drew.” For the first time he seemed to hesitate. “I promise you that I will then be content and leave you alone.” Still he hesitated. She added, “I daresay ladies can’t be blamed for wanting to see where gentlemen like you spend their days.”